1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to active metal electrochemical devices and processes. More particularly, this invention relates to active metal/aqueous (e.g., lithium) electrochemical cell configured and operated to reclaim lithium (or other active) metal from a variety of sources including industrial waste, and recycled lithium and lithium-ion and other active metal batteries. These electrolyzer cells are made possible by active metal electrode structures having ionically conductive membranes for protection of the active metal from deleterious reaction with air and moisture.
2. Description of Related Art
The low equivalent weight of alkali metals, such as lithium, render them particularly attractive as a battery electrode component. Lithium provides greater energy per volume than the traditional battery standards, nickel and cadmium. As a result, lithium-ion battery technology has developed rapidly and is taking a growing share of the rechargeable battery market. Lithium metal battery technology, which offers even higher energy density than Li-ion, is developing and can be expected to become an important part of the market for rechargeable batteries before long. These and other industrial uses of lithium provide a substantial and growing waste disposal problem.
It is widely known that lithium and other active metals metal react violently with water, aqueous solutions and a variety of other common easily handled solvents. Accordingly, previous attempts to recover lithium or other active metals have relied upon high temperatures using anhydrous molten salt, which is a difficult and expensive process.
There is a substantial an increasing need and value from both an environmental and economic standpoint in reclaiming lithium in industrial processes and particularly from spent lithium and other active metal battery cells.
Thus, improved lithium recovery processes are needed.